Introduction
As
of late, I’ve become increasingly interested in in-wall speakers, not
only for their practicality, but also because they have become
exceedingly good in providing truly reference grade sound in a sleek
unobtrusive package. Nothing is sexier than having a guest walk into
your listening room and be blown away at your system’s sound, only to
ask, “Where are the speakers?” Because of these facts, my reference
room features a complete in-wall speaker system from Meridian entirely
hidden from view by a custom fabric wall as seen in the August edition
of AVRev.com.
However, not everyone has the budget or the means to welcome a speaker
system such as the Meridian into the home. Hence my interest in the
Atlantic Technology IWCB-52 in-wall speakers reviewed here. Why did I
choose Atlantic Technology’s IWCB-52s for this review (and for my home)
over the many other reputable and wonderful-sounding brands out there
today? Simple. The IWCB-52s sound ...

It might be easier to pick a top-performing fantasy football running back than it is to choose the right HDTV to watch him on every Sunday. At AVRev.com, we have made it easy for you this year with an HDTV cheat sheet that gives you the inside track on the best, brightest and most resolute HDTVs on the market for this football season. Note: prices are subject to change, based on market conditions.
HP SL4278N 42-Inch MediaSmart LCD HDTV
Last year, HP introduced the MediaSmart LCD TV, with a built-in digital media receiver to which you can stream music, photos, and even HD video from your computer, over a wired or wireless network. The media function was a nice perk in an otherwise good-performing HDTV. The second-gen MediaSmart TVs have just arrived, and the specs look promising. The SL4278N ups the TV ...

Introduction
As
much as I love high-end gear and the brands associated with it, I have
a special place in my heart for the little guys. While you can hardly
call a brand such as Aperion “little,” they don’t quite have the brand
equity of, say, Paradigm, Definitive Technology or B&W. Still,
Aperion has made a name for itself over the years by producing
well-regarded and very good-sounding speakers at surprisingly
affordable prices, which they sell direct to the consumer, with a
30-day money-back trial period, via their website. While Web-based
consumer electronic sales are nothing new, Aperion’s website stands
apart from some of the competition, in that it doesn’t appear to be
homegrown. Aperion’s website, www.aperionaudio.com is nicely designed,
extremely informative and has a stylistic flair to it equal to some of
the biggest names in the business. But don’t think all this design
flash is meant to distract you from a substandard product. ...

Introduction
More
than speakers, equipment, cables and even source material, your room is
the single most important component in your audio/video system. While
this comes as no surprise to many enthusiasts, be it two-channel or
home theater, the room and its interactions (good or bad) with the
sound is often overlooked, or worse, ignored. The science of sound can
be a bit daunting and not quite as fun or interesting as reading about
the latest Blu-ray player or high-dollar power amplifier, yet in many
ways, it is vastly more important. I’ve heard million-dollar systems
sound less than impressive, while some of my most memorable aural
experiences can be traced back to a pair of $300 a pair mini-monitors
powered by a simple stereo receiver. How could this be? The room
acoustics and tuning have a lot to do with a successful system.
Your room is so important that many companies offer
services, ranging from acoustical ...

Introduction
Home
theater PCs are not so much a fad as they are the future. The sheer
capability and versatility one gets from integrating a home theater PC
into a home theater and/or whole-home AV network is staggering. Think
about it. Consumers now have a single component that can catalogue and
store all of their music, movies, television programs and even play the
latest high-definition formats, such as Blu-ray and HD DVD, in a
chassis not much larger than your standard DVD player. Throw in the
fact that you can essentially make any computer, even the one you
currently own, a home theater PC and you begin to see the prospect’s
superb value and outrageous potential. For me, the biggest downside to
home theater PCs is the PC part. Most home theater PCs are based around
a Windows operating system that ultimately makes them somewhat
user-friendly to the scores of PC users out there, ...